Ugandan middle-distance runners Halima Nakaayi and Winnie Nanyondo have seen the end of the road in the Women’s 800m at the Tokyo Olympics.
Nakaayi and Nanyondo fell short in the semifinals finishing eighth and fifth in their respective races.
Nanyondo was up against world number four Raevyn Rogers of the United States and Cuba’s Rose Mary Almanza of Cuba who has been in fine form.
However, it was Great Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson (1:59.12) who won the race with Chunyu Wang (1:59.14) of China in second and Nanyondo’s season-best 1:59.84 after a slight stumble at the final bend was only good enough for fifth place.
It probably was never to be for Uganda. Nakaayi who took the track first was up against tougher opposition having to beat off top-ranked Ajeé Wilson of the United States and world number two Natoya Goule from Jamaica who eventually won the race in 1:59.57 with Great Britain’s Jemma Reekie coming second.
Nakaayi struggled in the last lap, running slower than she did in the preliminaries. She crossed the line in 2:04.44.
Winnie Nanyondo will now switch focus on the 1500m with the preliminary round set for Monday, August 2.